1. Technical Field
This document relates to methods and materials involved in treating cancer with viral nucleic acid (e.g., nucleic acid coding for a picornavirus).
2. Background Information
The use of viruses to infect and kill cancer cells has been studied for many years. Typically, viruses known to infect and kill cancer cells are referred to as oncolytic viruses. The use of oncolytic viruses in this type of cancer therapy is generally different from their use in gene therapy. In gene therapy, a virus is primarily a delivery vehicle, used to deliver a corrective gene or chemotherapeutic agent to a cancer cell.